For Women in Law

This month we chat to 24-year-old Medina Hassim who is a candidate attorney at Nothnagel Attorneys and Conveyancers. Medina holds a Bcom Law and LLB degree from University of Pretoria and as a new entrant to the legal field, her hunger and eagerness is the motivation behind her willingness to realizing her full potential in this field. Below is the interview between For Women in Law (FWIL) and (MH) Medina Hassim. FWIL: At which law firm are you currently serving your articles of clerkship? MH: Nothnagel Attorneys and Conveyancers FWIL: What inspired you to study law? MH: To be honest, law was one of the last things I thought I would study. It was in my first year of university when I had a law module that I decided this was exactly what I’m supposed to study. I loved the fact that the law is in everything we do, that you aren’t confined to only one industry but that the law is in all industries. I was also aware of the fact that there was so ma...

No matter where you are in your career, you don’t need to do it alone. Getting a mentor is definitely something that everybody should be doing. Mentorship is extremely important for your growth. Whether it is professional growth, career or even spiritual growth. Throughout my career and life, I have had a multitude of mentors. and these mentors have really impacted and improved specific areas of my life, be it my studies, career or finances. I can proudly attribute some of my successes to having a mentor. As a mentee, I have also benefited from the deep experience of people who have made a personal investment in me; as a mentor, I have accelerated other people’s learning simply by investing some time and insight, which has been incredibly gratifying. When you invest time and energy in someone, you not only change the trajectory of his or her life and career with your experience and wisdom, but your company or organization can reap rewards in various forms. When deci...

This month we chat with Monyana Tshiamiso, who is the  founder of online portal SHE Legal Co.  Monyana is  a young woman navigating a career in the legal industry, and pursuing other interests that include, but are not limited to writing, black consciousness and influencer ideations.  SHE LEGAL Co is a conversational portal for women in law and entrepreneurship to talk, inspire, mentor and challenge each other. The platform seeks to raise awareness of the many groundbreaking achievements of female lawyers. With a mission to create a digital platform where women in law can converse in their similarities, celebrate their differences and achievements while connecting in their goals,  SHE LEGAL Co continues to grow its social media audience by providing consistent and quality content to keep us informed. This is definitely a platform to follow and we recommend  SHE LEGAL Co to all #womeninlaw and entrepreneurs. Below is the interview between For Wom...

A few weeks ago one of my mentees asked me whether there were other options available to an LLB holder apart from becoming an attorney or an advocate. As we spoke about the various options, I realized that many law student are not aware of the alternative options available to an LLB holder. I myself only learned about them after varsity. I decided to do a bit of research and found that there are many ways in which a lawyer can transition from practicing in a law firm to entering other fields more tailored to their interests. For instance, there are plenty of business roles that require an understanding of law.  In most cases, you will be required to obtain an additional certificate or under go a training program. Below is a least of options, some of which were suggested by Investment & Finance attorney, @mochievous (on twitter) during a very informative thread a couple of months ago. (Do follow her page! You won’t regret it!) 1) Media During your time as a ...

Happy New Year #womeninlaw! By now most of us have an idea of what we would like for the year ahead. In 2019 we would like to interview more women in law who have broken (and are breaking) glass ceilings. Women who are breaking barriers and proving that the world is a better place with women leading it.  One of these women is the phenomenal Akunna Onwu! Akunna Onwu is an admitted advocate and professional coach. She  holds a  Professional Coaching Certificate,  Associate Coaching Certificate,  LLM,  LLB, Bcom Law degree. After completing her law degrees and becoming an advocate, she  decided to pursue a career in coaching, specifically around life and business coaching.  We stan a jack of all trades! Every Wednesday  Akunna  posts inspirational and motivational Wisdom Wednesday videos, be sure to check out her social media profiles for a dose of encouragement! Below is the interview between For Women in Law (FWIL) and...